Author: Antonian Lara

Armenia to Join Polish-led Troops in Iraq
Baku Today, Azerbaijan
Sept 7 2004
Armenian military officials say their country will send 50 troops to
Iraq to join a Polish-led multinational force patrolling the country’s
central and southern regions.
The troops will be deployed under a security cooperation agreement
signed Monday in Warsaw by visiting Armenian President Robert Kocharian
and Polish President Aleksander Kwasniewski. Poland’s defense minister
Jerzy Szmajdzinski says Armenia is planning to send specialists in
logistics, bomb disposal experts and doctors in late November or
early December.
Poland commands a 6,500-strong multinational contingent in Iraq. It
has been one of Washington’s staunchest allies, providing 2,500 of
its own soldiers for the force.
The French news agency reports that both presidents, at a joint news
conference, expressed their sadness and solidarity with Russia over
the school hostage tragedy.
Some information for this report provided by AP, Reuters.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

NKR CELEBRATES ITS INDEPENDENCE DAY
ArmenPress
Sept 2 2004
STEPANAKERT, SEPTEMBER 2, ARMENPRESS: Nagorno Karabakh Republic (NKR)
president Arkadi Ghukassian, Armenian defense minister Serze Sargssian,
NKR National Assembly speaker Oleg Yesaian, prime minister Anushavan
Danielian, other government officials, officers of defense army,
parliamentarians and guests from Russia, Armenia and Diaspora visited
the memorial of Stepanakert today at 12 am on the occasion of 13th
anniversary of NKR Independence Day. They put flowers on the grave
of NKR Supreme Council first chairman Arthur Mkrtchian and honored
his memory with a minute silence.
“Independence of NKR, perhaps, is the highest achievement of our
nation. Therefore it can not be looked at as a temporary state. We
have factually proved the international community that are capable of
creating an independent statehood and live independent of Azerbaijan.
A nation, which has passed through a hard war of trials and hardships,
sacrificing the best of its sons, is unconquerable,” NKR president
A. Ghukassian said.
“There will be a time when the cherished hopes of our generations
will come true, generations which have even before us fought for the
high ideals and consciously died for their motherland,” Armenian
defense minister Serze Sargssian said. Responding to the question
what are the major principles in Karabakh conflict resolution,
Sargssian answered that they are three of them which have been
variously stated by Armenian president Robert Kocharian, “We think
that Nagorno Karabakh should be granted a status which will provide
independence from Azerbaijan, NKR will have borders with Armenia and
strong security guarantees.”
During the second half of the day, festivities to the Independence
Day moved to the park near Shahumian monument, republican sports
field where concerts, sports competitions and national marches were
organized. In the evening a big concert will be performed in the
Square of Revival with the participation of Russian famous singer
Iosif Kabzon, other famous singers of Russian music and best bands
of Armenia and Artsakh.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

How to make friends at Tufts: start with a smile
By Julia Lifschultz, Daily Editorial Board
The Tufts Daily, MA
Sept 1 2004
Out of all of the adjustments that come with starting college, one
of the most overwhelming is the need to meet people and forge new
relationships with them. Whether mourning the loss of a tight group of
high school friends, a significant other far away, or the comfort of
family life, every person goes through this process in their own way.
Some decide to skip the entire process and resign themselves to a
college life of studying a lot and racking up frequent flier miles
home. Others approach college with a laissez-faire attitude: everything
will work out, and they’ll meet people they mesh with.
In another approach, some people decide that they will duplicate the
security of home and forge the fastest group of best friends ever.
Unfortunately, by day eight they frequently find out that these
friends aren’t quite what they expected.
Every year, the incoming class of Tufts freshmen goes through
a similar experience, and every year they land on their feet. And
though partaking in pre-Orientation and Orientation events, joining
campus clubs, and mingling with other students in class are the
conventional means of forming freshman friendships, the quest for
meaningful college friendships is not limited to those areas.
Nor is it a solo voyage: many students even got a little help from
some pushy parents. Senior Alicia Faneuil has her mom to thank for
a friendship that has remained to this day.
“The first day moving in freshman year, my mom clicked with Liz
[Glassman]’s mom,” Faneuil said. “She saw her from afar and was like,
‘She looks nice and cute!’ They introduced themselves and realized
that their daughters were in the same suite in Haskell.”
“My mom bugged me every day after that to introduce myself to Liz:
‘Have you met that girl Liz yet? I know you girls would like each
other. I just know it. Why don’t you just go into her room and say
hello? You’re right next door!'”
Even though her mom was trying to be helpful, Faneuil was having none
of it. “I kept trying to tell my mom that I would make friends myself
and that I didn’t need her help” she said.
However, when Faneuil finally took her mom’s advice, she hit it
off with Glassman, also a senior. They have been best friends and
roommates ever since. “It’s so annoying when parents say they know
best,” Faneuil said, “but it’s even more annoying when they do.”
Other students find they have to battle preconceived notions more
often than jitters about meeting people. Senior Caitlin McGarty did
not know what to expect when she first learned that her roommate would
be coming from Turkey. “I had no idea what to expect,” she said. “I
think I learned more from living with her than I did from any of my
classes that year.”
Having a diverse group of students in her hall made the Massachusetts
native much more aware of the world around her. “It was very
interesting to listen to [my roommate], the Israeli kid, and the
Armenian kid who lived in my dorm all discuss history and politics,”
she said. “I realized how America-centric our schooling is, and how
people view things differently in other countries.”
Senior Ethan Wishnick learned that college co-eds can be more
than just objects of desire. “I had seen this hot girl around and
lived in her dorm, so one night we went up to her room to say hi,”
Wishnick said. “In the end, her roommate and I ended up hitting it
off, and three years later, we’re still close. I even still talk to
the hot girl.”
Senior Hilary Wentz also had some luck with members of the opposite
sex- with the help of her mom. “My mom forced the kid living next
door to me to build a shelf for me,” Wentz said. “[She] proceeded
to talk to him about his entire life while I rolled my eyes. We went
out together that night and later became really good friends.”
Graduate Frank Bruzese (LA ’04) was able to use his charms to win
over many of his current friends – and win an extra bed. “I was pretty
good about just introducing myself to people,” he said. “Then I just
invited myself to sleep in two of my friends’ rooms and that pretty
much cemented it.”
Students don’t shun more conventional ways of getting to know each
other, though. “One thing that really made my freshman year a great
experience socially was being part of an athletic team,” senior
Lauren Ungerleider said. “It was great to see people on a regular
basis at practice, and this obviously led to getting to know them
well. It made sense that when the weekend came and everyone had the
same restrictions in terms of weekend competitions that you did,
the people on your team were the most fun to hang out with.”
“The best way to meet people was through participating in as many
activities as you can,” senior Erin Connolly said. “Through going
out at night, to playing a sport, to joining the Greek system, to
trying out different clubs, the opportunities are endless to meet
many different unique people. It is nice to have a large group of
friends and really gives you the opportunity to be friends with many
different cliques in the end.”
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

ARMENIA CAUCUS AT US CONGRESS REPLENISHED
WASHINGTON, AUGUST 28. ARMINFO. Congressman John Shimcus of Illinois,
USA, has joined the Armenia Caucus of the US Congress. Thus, the
Caucus has 136 members now. The Armenian Assembly of America (AAA)
reports that John Shimcus pointed out that the Armenian community in
Illinois has always been supported the improvement of relations
between the Armenia and American peoples. “In have the honor to help
them in attaining this goal as a member of the Armenia Caucus at the
US Congress,” he said.

“Aztag” Daily Newspaper
P.O. Box 80860, Bourj Hammoud,
Beirut, Lebanon
Fax: +961 1 258529
Phone: +961 1 260115, +961 1 241274
Email: [email protected]
The Challenges Facing the Armenian Church: An Interview with Hratch
Tchilingirian
by Khatchig Mouradian
`The Armenian Church hides, under its each and every stone, a secret path
ascending to the heavens’, wrote the famous Armenian poet, Vahan Tekeyan.
Yet, the Armenian Church is more than a religious institution that has acted
as a `mediator’ between Armenians and their God. Having survived the
shifting tides of time for more than seventeen centuries, this `unique
organization’, as Professor Hratch Tchilingirian calls it in this interview,
has served its people as much as, if not more than, it has served God.
Today, in the age of globalization, secularization and false crusades, the
Armenians – despite their constant boasting about having the oldest
Christian state in the world – are also following this global trend, by
gradually distancing themselves from established religious institutions and,
at times, looking for spiritual answers elsewhere.
What is the mission of the Armenian Church in the 21st century? What are the
challenges that it faces in Armenia and the Diaspora? How effectively is the
Church hierarchy tackling these challenges? I discussed these and a number
of related issues with Professor Hratch Tchilingirian when he was visiting
Beirut in July.
Hratch Tchilingirian is Associate Director of the Eurasia Programme, the
Judge Institute, University of Cambridge. He received his PhD from the
London School of Economics and Political Science and his Master of Public
Administration (MPA) from California State University, Northridge. His
current research covers political and territorial disputes in the Caucasus
and Central Asia, as well as the region’s political, economic and
geostrategic developments. He has authored over 120 articles and
publications on the politics, economy, culture, religion and social issues
of the Eurasia region, especially the Caucasus and the Armenian Diaspora.
Tchilingirian is closely involved in the affairs of the Armenian Church. He
has a Master of Divinity degree from St. Vladimir’s Theological School and a
Diploma in Armenian Church Studies from St. Nersess Armenian Seminary in New
York. He was the Dean of St. Nersess Seminary in 1991-1994. Tchilingirian
was also co-founder and editor of `Window View of the Armenian Church’
(1990-1995), a quarterly magazine dealing with issues related to the
Armenian Church. He has authored many articles on contemporary Armenian
affairs, including those relating directly to the Armenian Church.
Aztag- Currently, people are farther away from religion than they used to
be, perhaps because in a highly secularized world, organized religion is
giving way to other philosophies and teachings. How do you see the situation
of the Armenian Church in this context?
Tchilingirian- This is a major and complex issue, but I would say there are
internal and external reasons for the current situation. As you mentioned,
secularization is part of the general trend globally. There is a steady
decline of organized religion and church attendance. For instance, there are
some studies which show that in Armenia only about 9% of the population
attends church services regularly on Sundays. In America, the percentage is
much higher; it’s about 40%, but in Europe, it’s also low, about 6-7%.
However, this does not necessarily mean that there is a decline of interest
in spirituality. There are alternative religions, as well as various other
philosophies and spiritual teachings that have gained currency in our world
today. So the challenge to institutional churches is how to be relevant in
the 21st century. In the case of the Armenian Church, the question is no
different: How can a 1700-year-old church make itself relevant to Armenians
living around a very-fast paced world in the 21st century? This is the major
challenge. In fact, the Armenian Church has not addressed this issue
collectively and seriously.
Aztag- Can we benefit from the experience of other churches in this respect?
Tchilingirian- Well, virtually all churches are facing great challenges, be
it the Catholic or Orthodox or Protestant churches. They have various
programs or mechanisms to address- not necessarily successfully- these
challenges. For instance, homosexuality and gay marriage is a big issue in
the Anglican Church and it is creating divisions. The Roman Catholic Church
has its own sets of problems, with priests involved in cases of sexual
abuse, and with the issue of celibacy and marriage of the clergy creating
tensions. So, you have churches with particular issues and challenges, and
other problems that are common to all churches.
In the case of the Armenian Church, I believe there is a lack of clear sense
of mission. I have written about this quite extensively. What is the mission
of the Armenian Church in the 21st century? At least personally, I am not
aware of any well-articulated statement or program on the part of the church
that spells out the Armenian Church’s mission. Of course, if you ask the
clergy or the hierarchs, they would tell you that the mission of the church
is very obvious, it’s based on the Gospel; it’s the salvation of souls. But
how do we achieve this? How is this mission carried out? How do you make it
relevant to the Armenian on the streets of Bourj Hammoud, Yerevan or Los
Angeles? How does this translate into the everyday life of the Armenian
faithful?
Each problem is unique and has a unique solution and one cannot take a
one-size-fits-all approach when thinking about solutions. In America, there
are many new ideas. There are churches that play modern music or Christian
rock, but if you try to bring this to Lebanon, for instance, people would be
scandalized; they would find that very foreign and reject it. So you have
to find a solution based on the local culture, on how local people perceive
things, or based on whether a particular community is ready for a particular
change.
One of the most important functions of religion or faith is to provide
meaning to human life. If a religion or a philosophy provides this role in
your life, then you follow its teachings. If the Armenian Church provides
meaning to Armenians from different walks of life, who are looking for
something more than the Sunday liturgy, conducted in a language most people
don’t understand, then it would become relevant to them.
Aztag- The Armenian Church is also regarded as an institution with a
national mission. Is there a lack of planning in that domain as well?
Tchilingirian- I think the church and the clergy feel more comfortable in
the so-called “national mission” of the Church- Azkayin Arakeloutyoun, than
its religious-spiritual mission. And yet when you ask about the national
mission of the Armenian Church in specific terms, you realize that the
answers are very vague. Obviously, the Church has played the role of a
surrogate state in Armenian history and it has preserved our culture, but
today, one has to be more specific also about what the national mission of
the church is. Of course, the church can publish books, discuss Armenian
philology and culture, and so on, but why does the church have to do these
things? Why doesn’t the Church or the hierarchy relegate this role to
other, perhaps more qualified organizations in the community to carry out
such functions – and what could be termed as `non-religious’ services – so
that the Church and clergy can dedicate more talent and resources to their
main religious and apostolic mission?
Aztag- But throughout history, perhaps due to the circumstances, the
Armenian Church has served the people by a number of ways that have little
to do with its apostolic mission.
Tchilingirian- Every organization has its primary raison d’etre. But when
you neglect and do not carry out your primary mission and you engage in
secondary or other peripheral missions, then why exist? If an organization
wants to change its raison d’etre and say, `henceforth, we are not this, but
we are that’, fine! But if you say you’re something, and you are doing
something else, then you’re not being true to your own calling, and you are
not delivering what you say you are going to deliver. This is a matter of
principle; it’s a matter of stating your mission. What is your mission
statement?
The Church is the only national institution that has existed continuously
throughout Armenian history in the last 1700 years. So the church, as an
institution, is beyond the individuals who run it. It is very powerful – it
has an in-built power vis a vis the fact that it is a religious and national
organization that has a very long history. And it will still be here in the
coming centuries. It’s unlike a secular organization which is very temporary
– it is here today, but might not be here in 50 years or 100 years. And yet,
each generation has a responsibility to carry out the mission of the Church.
If we want the Armenian Church to be what it’s supposed to be, then we have
to ask: What are the people who are running the church, namely the clergy
and hierarchy, doing? What are the laymen doing? How are they carrying out
their mission?’
I think this is the problematic issue -whether in Etchmiadzin or in the
Diaspora. I should note that some Hierarchical Sees are more aware of these
issues and are carrying out more serious work in their respective
jurisdictions. The Catholicosate of Cilicia, for instance, is involved with
serious mission work. Yet, collectively, we are still not clear about what
the main purpose of the entire Church is. How do you reach the 90% of
Armenians who are not affiliated with the Church, who do not come to church,
except once or twice a year, for weddings or for funerals?
Aztag- Do you think changing the language of the liturgy into modern
Armenian would make a difference? After all, religion seems to have become
an individual quest for meaning in life, and it seems that the factors
carrying people farther away from the church have little to do with the
language.
Tchilingirian- If you conduct the liturgy in modern Armenian or English,
there is no guarantee that suddenly you’ll have thousands of Armenians
flocking to the church. I think making the language understandable does
help; but it’s not the solution.
In the old times, the church was the center of the community life. There was
a church in every village and it brought the community together. People had
a communal life around their faith, their everyday-life traditions. But in
modern times, when people live in such remote places the situation is
completely different.
I agree that religion has become a very individual matter. In fact, even if
people go to church on Sunday, they go there as an individual; they go there
to light a candle, to say a prayer; they don’t go there from the beginning
of the service, it’s like they go in for 10-15 minutes and they don’t
necessarily feel a sense of commonality with everyone in the church, because
probably they’re not from the same neighborhood or have no meaningful
affiliation with that community.
People choose various philosophies, various kinds of alternative religions
or faiths that fit their particular choice or particular sense of where they
are in their lives. For example, there are different types of Armenian
believers, which I have identified through my own research in Armenia,
Karabakh and the Diaspora. There are what I call Theist Believers, Deist
Believers, `Agnostic Believers’ and `Atheist Believers’. For instance, the
Armenian `atheist believer’ does not believe in the existence of God, but he
may be baptized in the Armenian Church; he may go to church once in a while
for weddings or on holidays, just to feel Armenian or to meet with friends,
so on. And, interestingly, he is considered a `child of the Armenian
Church’, at least by the hierarchy of the Church. If you ask the clergy,
they include every Armenian in the `membership’ of the Armenian Church. But
what is significant here – and generally overlooked – is the fact that if
you are preaching to an atheist Armenian, you have to preach differently
than if you are preaching to someone who is dedicated and attends church
regularly.
Aztag- What are the challenges facing the Armenian Church particularly in
Armenia and Karabakh?
Tchilingirian- As I mentioned, there are common problems facing the Armenian
Church regardless of geography, but there are issues that are specific to
the region where the church finds itself. For instance, in North America,
the Armenian Church has different sets of problems; these problems have to
do with language, the length of the liturgy, ordination of women, and so on.
These are not problems, say, in Karabakh or in Armenia.
In Armenia, the major challenge is what the late Catholicos Karekin I used
to call the
`re-Christianization’ of Armenia, the re-evangelization of Armenia. This is
still a major problem, because after almost seven decades of atheist regime,
people don’t even have the basic knowledge about Christianity and the
Armenian Church. In the last 10-12 years, the Church has tried to educate
the population and yet, as I mentioned earlier, there is the need to further
clarify the mission of the Armenian Church.
As far as the so-called cults are concerned, I think people have exaggerated
the problem. For example, there are about 30-40 Hare Krishnas in Armenia.
It’s not like tens of thousands of Armenians are following these cults. More
important, at least sociologically, is the fact that all of these people who
are following alternative religions are Armenians — they are not foreigners
who are coming and living in Armenia as Hare Krishnas or Jehovah’s
Witnesses. This fact is totally ignored in the anti-cult discourse in
Armenia. The fact that hundreds of Armenians are following alternative
religions indicates that these religions or teachings are appealing to a
certain segment of the population. These are not necessarily brainwashed
people, as anti-cultists would have us believe; in fact, many of them are
highly educated individuals. They are people who are in search of something
and it happens that a particular group or teaching provides them with what
they are looking for, spiritually. My point is that we should not look at
the issue of cults or alternative religions from a very nationalistic point
of view. Some say, `This is causing a problem to our national security’,
that’s too much. One way of addressing this problem is to carry out a
similar mission. If, for example, the Jehovah’s Witnesses are going around
in Yerevan knocking on people’s doors, why isn’t the Armenian Apostolic
Church doing the same thing? Simply sitting in comfortable places and
complaining about it doesn’t resolve the problem. We have to be very
realistic about this.
In Karabakh, I would say the church, headed by Archbishop Barkev
Martirossian, has done a lot of work. The church has provided extensive
pastoral services during the most difficult periods in the life of Karabakh.
Especially during the war, the church has played an important role and, I
believe, it is continuing to do so today. Of course, it has its own
problems, but the clergy are doing their best to provide the type of
pastoral mission and care the people expect from the church. In Karabakh,
generally people are skeptical about any philosophy or any kind of teaching,
so the Church faces a challenge there; but the younger generation, the
children and youth, are much more receptive and open to the teachings of the
church.
Aztag- In the Armenian Church, leaders constantly talk about reforms. What
is your take on that?
Tchilingirian- The issue of reform is not new. There has been a continuous
discussion about reforms in the Armenian Church at least in the last 100
years. There is some literature about this matter, for example, Patriarch
Torkom Koushagian of Jerusalem has written “Paregarkoutyoun hayasdanyayts
yegeghetsvo” (Improvements [or reform] in the Armenian Church), published in
1940. But, again, my point is that if you don’t have a clear sense of
mission, if you don’t have a clear mission statement, you cannot organize
the types of reforms you need to make. What are you trying to do? What are
you trying to change or reform? Where are you trying to go with your
reforms? From what point to what point? And as long as you don’t have a
clear idea about where you want to go and what you are supposed to do, then
all this talk about reform is irrelevant. In business, for instance, people
formulate a clear plan about the goals they want to achieve in, say, 5
years. My question is: Where is the plan in the Armenian Church that says in
5 years or 10 years time this is where we want to go and this is what we are
doing today to reach that point. It’s like a tree. You plant a tree, so that
in 5 years or 10 years you benefit from its fruits. If you wake up in 10
years and say `where are the fruits we need?’ people will tell you that you
should have planted your tree a decade ago.

EX-DIRECTOR OF YEREVAN CIRCUS “USED” TOUR MONEY
YEREVAN, AUGUST 25. ARMINFO. For lack of funds, the Yerevan circus
will not take part in the 3rd international youth contest if circus
art in Moscow on September 2-7.
Talking to ARMINFO, Director of the Yerevan circus Sos Petrosyan
pointed out that the new temporary head of the circus Andreas Srapyan
ordered the profit received last season, 10mln. AMD, to be directed to
the repair of his cabinet, whereas the collective decided to use the
funds to cover the expenses for participation in the festivals of
circus art in Moscow and Monte Carlo, as well as for inviting circus
actors from China, Russia and Germany.
On May 14, the newly appointed Minister of Culture Hovik Hoveyan
relieved S. Petrosyan of his post and appointed A. Srapyan, a
representative of the “Law-Governed Country” party, one of the three
parties in power in Armenia. Petrosyan applied to court and defended
his interests for three months. On July 29, after getting acquainted
with the verdict of the Court of Cassation, Hoveyan restored Petrosyan
to his post, but has so far refused to receive him to discuss the
problems of the Yerevan State Circus.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

PRESS RELEASE
Fund for Armenian Relief
630 Second Avenue, New York, NY 10016
Contact: Edina N. Bobelian
Tel: (212) 889-5150; Fax: (212) 889-4849
E-mail: [email protected]
Website:
August 24, 2004
____________________
A MOTHER’S LOVE FOR CHILDREN HONORED IN ARMENIA
New York Family Builds a Tribute through the Fund for Armenian Relief
As Gregory Manuelian and Christine Brewster watched the bubbling
enthusiasm among the children running through the new playground,
singing songs on the swings, and bouncing on the seesaw in Yerevan, the
two siblings witnessed a living tribute to the Armenian spirit of their
late mother, Diane Manuelian.
In memory of Diane, Charles Manuelian and family sponsored the
construction of a colorful playground and a two-tiered water fountain
for the children at the Nork Orphanage by the Fund for Armenian Relief
(FAR), a New York-based nonprofit organization with a trusted reputation
and successful 15-year track record of implementing programs in Armenia
and Karabagh. “We chose something meaningful and personal for my
mother,” said Mrs. Brewster. “The playground is tangible; it is to be
used and enjoyed by the children. She would have loved it.”
On August 4, 2004, Gregory Manuelian and Christine Brewster officially
opened the newly constructed playground at the Nork Orphanage. In the
presence of Mrs. Brewster’s two children, Elizabeth and Mark, Archbishop
Khajag Barsamian, Primate of the Diocese of the Armenian Church of
America (Eastern) and President of the FAR Board of Directors, Very Rev.
Fr. Arshak Khachatryan, Chancellor of the Mother See of Holy
Etchmiadzin, Simon Balian, FAR Executive Director, Krikor Tatoulian, FAR
Country Director, and Liana Karapetian, the Nork Orphanage Director,
they cut the red ribbon delicately tied across the playground with
scissors proffered on a tray by a young boy and girl dressed in their
Sunday-best.
The opening ceremony, which presented her first opportunity to travel to
the Homeland, “was an emotional, special occasion,” revealed Mrs.
Brewster. “No matter how much one reads about Armenia and talks to
others about their experiences, nothing quite prepares you for the
essence of Armenia, its people and the beautiful countryside,” she said.
The Manuelian family has a long-standing relationship with FAR,
supporting its programs to help the people of Armenia. On this personal
occasion, they again turned to the organization to fulfill their
objective. “FAR has done a beautiful job,” said Gregory Manuelian,
“Armenia needs FAR.”
FAR is a nonprofit organization headquartered in New York, with offices
in Yerevan, Gyumri, and Stepanakert. For 15 years, FAR has implemented
various relief, development, social, educational, and cultural projects
valued at more than $250 million. It remains the preeminent Diasporan
organization operating in Armenia.
For more information or to send donations, interested persons should
contact the Fund for Armenian Relief at 630 Second Avenue, New York, NY
10016; telephone (212) 889-5150, fax (212) 889-4849; ,
[email protected].
— 8/24/04
E-mail photos available upon request.
PHOTO CAPTION 1: By cutting the red ribbon on August 4, 2004, Gregory
Manuelian and Christine Brewster officially opened the Nork Orphanage
playground dedicated to their late mother, Diane Manuelian, as
Archbishop Khajag Barsamian, Primate of the Diocese of the Armenian
Church of America (Eastern) and President of the Fund for Armenian
Relief Board of Directors, and Mrs. Brewster’s two children, Elizabeth
and Mark, looked on.
PHOTO CAPTION 2: Elizabeth and Mark Brewster traveled to Armenia to
attend the opening ceremony of the playground built by the Fund for
Armenian Relief in memory of their grandmother, Diane Manuelian, at the
Nork Orphanage.

PHOTO CAPTION 3: This girl and boy played an important role in the
August 4 ceremony at the Nork Orphanage – providing the scissors to cut
the ribbon and officially open the new playground dedicated to the
memory of Diane Manuelian.
PHOTO CAPTION 4: After the opening ceremony, this young girl was among
the first to use the new, colorful water fountains in the playground
built by the Fund for Armenian Relief.

PHOTO CAPTION 5: Children at the Nork Orphanage began using the
colorful swings and seesaws in their new playground immediately
following the opening ceremony.

Business Wire (press release), CA
Aug 23 2004
Firebird Global Master Fund, Ltd. Invests in Indusmin
VANCOUVER, British Columbia–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Aug. 23, 2004–Indusmin
Energy Corp.. (TSX Venture:IDM) announces that further to its news
release dated July 27, 2004, related to a proposed private placement,
the Corporation is pleased to announce that the Corporation has
received $ 1,000,000.00 from Firebird Global Master Fund, Ltd.
() Firebird Global Master Fund, Ltd. is a contrarian
portfolio equity fund that invests in exotic markets and sectors
around the world. Firebird Global Master Fund, Ltd. is associated
with Firebird, which manages approximately $625 million in six funds
dedicated primarily to equity investment in Russia, Eastern Europe
and Central Asia. A total of 3,333,333 units will be issued to
Firebird Global Master Fund, Ltd each unit will consist of one (1)
common share and one (1) share purchase warrant. each share purchase
warrant will entitle the holder thereof to purchase one (1) common
share of the Corporation at a purchase price of $0.30 per common
share in year one and $ 0.40 in year two from the date of issuance of
the share purchase warrants.
The proceeds of the private placement will be used for exploration
and development of the newly acquired licenses in the Republic of
Armenia and further development of the Kerch project in Ukraine. For
information on these projects please visit our website
.
The TSX Venture Exchange has not reviewed and does not accept
responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Agence France Presse
Aug 20 2004
Putin To Visit Armenia Early Next Year

MOSCOW, Aug 20 (AFP) – Russian President Vladimir Putin said he will
visit his Armenian counterpart, Robert Kocharian, in Armenia early
next year and has renewed offers to mediate the decade-old conflict
in Nagorny Karabakh, the Russian media reported Friday.
Russia is ready to act as a “mediator and guarantor” of a negotiated
settlement in Nagorny Karabakh, an ethnically Armenian enclave of
Azerbaijan, Putin said according to Russian news service Interfax.
A 1994 ceasefire after a bloody four-year conflict left Armenian
forces in control of the enclave and surrounding Azeri regions.
Azerbaijan has said it is determined to force Armenian troops out of
the territory.
Along with France and the United States, Russia is part of the
so-called Minsk Group seeking a peaceful solution to the conflict.
No specific date was set for Putin’s trip.

RosBusinessConsulting, Russia
Aug 19 2004
Armenia to attract foreigners on its telecommunications market
RBC, 19.08.2004, Yerevan 19:25:07.The Armenian government will
hold an international tender to attract new mobile operator after
ArmenTel’s monopoly had been ruled illegal, Armenian Justice Minister
David Arutunian told journalists today. According to him, the
government decision to cancel the existing monopoly on the internal
telecommunications market will likely become effective starting
September 28, 2004. According to Armenian news agency Arminfo,
Armenian officials believe that an international tender was the most
prudent decision.